Examples of a specimen processing system for performing automatic analysis of a biosample, such as blood or urine, include a specimen preprocessing system which performs centrifugal separation or dispensing processing with respect to a specimen, such as blood or urine, collected for examination, or labelling processing, or an automatic analysis system which analyzes the specimen processed in the specimen preprocessing system. Since there are many types of processing and analyses, a specimen processing system, in which each type of processing is performed in separate processing (analysis) units, and each of the processing (analysis) units are connected to each other via a specimen transporting system which transports the specimen, is used.
In the specimen processing system, when maintenance or failure handling work is performed during an operation, exchange work or the like of a corresponding mechanism part is performed, but at a location where electricity is used for a motor or a sensor at the mechanism part, it is necessary to stop the power supply to the mechanism part in order to prevent a failure of an electric component due to the work in a conduction state. In this case, a worker stops the power supply of the specimen processing system and stops the operation of the entire specimen processing system, by a main power switch of the specimen processing system. However, when the operation of the entire specimen processing system is stopped as described above, processing of the specimen or an examination result report is delayed.
As means for solving the above-described problem, in PTL 1, an automatic analysis apparatus in which a plurality of analysis units are connected to each other by a transporting line, and which can cut off the power supply to each analysis unit is disclosed. In PTL 2, an automatic analysis apparatus which includes a plurality of mechanisms, and which is provided with a switching circuit that can stop the power supply to each certain mechanism part is disclosed.